Hello, Andromeda
by AndromedaHale
Summary: Andromeda Hale is a Slytherin, and she's one tough witch. She is the only person whom has ever made Draco Malfoy cry in public. But is she really cut out to be a Slytherin? A story following Hogwart's first house switch. Nev/OC,Fred/OC,Draco/OC. Review :
1. Prologue  Hello, Andromeda

It's dark, as you stand in front of an extraordinary castle, heart racing in anticipation. You find yourself soon surrounded by other eleven year olds, each and every one speaking in an English accent. Of course, except for you. You were from America. "And so, it begins." you said out loud, but to yourself. A group of three heard you speak, asked where you were from, and one of them told you to "Talk more. I want to hear your accent!". They introduced themselves as Hermoine Granger, Harry, and Ron. But as we spoke, I saw something. Something underneath Harry's fringe, that he was trying to hide. Had I just met, and had conversation with… Harry Potter?

After nearly half an hour talking to the trio, you'd forgotten your nerves, and almost forgotten where you were. You were quickly brought back to reality when a very large, hairy man came walking towards all of you. "Welcome to Hogwarts! First years this way!"

The sun had disappeared behind the castle hours ago, as I stood waiting for the sorting to begin. I looked around at the other first year students and made an attempt to remember all of their names. I thought to myself, _Of course, Harry Potter. I don't know him well, but I know of him. And his friend Ron, he's quite.. Well, he's interesting. Oh, and Hermoine Granger! She's nice, and rather intelligent. I do believe that we might already be great.. Acquaintances. _I hated the word "friends". My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, throat clearing cough. I looked up to see from whom the sound came. I turned around and saw a very thin, very light-haired boy who used too much hair gel and had piercing grey eyes.

"Hello, the name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. What's your name?" said the boy. "My name is Andromeda Hale, it's nice to meet you." I replied. "HA! A Hale? No wonder you were over there making friends with the Mudblood. Your family is well known for muggle-loving." He laughed. "You listen to me," I said quietly, voice tense as I grabbed him by his shirt, "I am nothing like my family, and you will not compare me to them. I was not making friends with Granger. I don't make friends. You'd be wise not to cross me again, Draco." What almost sounded like a whimper escaped from his lips as I released him, just as the doors opened up into The Great Hall, where on a platform stood a stool, and on the stool sat a hat.

This hat looked to be nothing spectacular. In fact, it looked quite ragged, patches over holes and dirt, all rather average. Then without warning, it opened up at one of the patches and began to sing.

"Oh you may not think me pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

When the song finished the entire Hall clapped and applauded. Once things settled down, a Professor named McGonagall began to read off names from a list, asked them to sit down, and placed the hat on there heads. She called "Abbott, Hannah." to be sorted, there was a moment of silence, and then the hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!". There was cheering coming from one of the four, long tables. The next few were sorted into Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and two more Hufflepuffs. Professor McGonagall then called "Hale, Andromeda."

I sat down on the stool and folded my arms. The sorting hat began to speak in a bit of a hushed tone in my ears. "Ah, I see. Family history here at Hogwarts… related to Godrick Gryffindor himself, eh? Hmm… but… of course, your rather book smart… No, no, you're not to be a Ravenclaw. Oh my! A desire… a thirst. You will do anything to get achieve whatever it is that is your goal, and I do mean anything. And you do wish to make yourself known as a woman of her own, and not "just another Hale", correct? I see… you're surely a… SLYTHERIN!" I heard the hat shout the last word to the entire Hall.

There was a great amount of cheering from the fourth table, and quite a few shocked expressions spread amongst the faces of the other three tables. I smiled and made my way to the table, where I was greeted by two not-very-friendly looking boys, who were, oddly enough, very friendly to me. I strained my neck to look around at the other tables, to see my new schoolmates. At the Gryffindor table, I saw three redheaded boys, two of which were twins, most likely relatives of Ron Weasley. The twin sitting on the left saw me looking, so he smiled and waved. As I waved back, his brother punched him in the arm and gave him a warning look.

They continued the sorting, placing Hermoine Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and a goofy mannered boy named Neville Longbottom all into Gryffindor. The Malfoy boy was sorted into Slytherin, and The Sorting Hat barely bad to touch a blonde hair on his head to do so. He sat next to me at the table and greeted me with a glare. "Hello, Andromeda".


	2. Your Worst Nightmare

It's been four years since I first attended Hogwarts. Four years since I was sorted into Slytherin, much to my dismay. Four years since I met Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and a whole bunch of gingers. So many things had changed since the first year. Of course, Harry was still the talk of the castle, but I was a close second. I was kind of like the muggle hero named Batman! Everyone was always so terrified of Draco, and I was the only person that he was afraid of. So people would go looking for me when Malfoy was doing his daily rounds, and ask me to stop him. I didn't mind. For the first time in my life, people knew my name.

No one could sleep. The Slytherin common room was filled with vivacious youth, acting as if they didn't have classes in the morning. "Do your impersonation of Draco in the first year, trying to befriend Potter! Andromeda, do it!" shouted Pansy Parkinson. It was true, Draco was still in his dorm, so he wouldn't hear, and I did indeed do a great impersonation.

"I don't think I can, guys…" I paused, and then began to roll slowly all of the floor, stopping to pose dramatically at times, to portray Draco's "smoothness", as he called it. "Hi! I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm a… racist. I despise mudbloods, gingers, and Gryffindors. Oh, and my parents work for the man who killed yours. Want to be my friend?" I mocked, as my housemates laughed with me. Suddenly, everyone got quiet, except for me. "What's wrong?" I asked, still smiling.

"Dearborn and I need to talk. Everyone, back to your dorms!" Draco commanded. Mother of Merlin, I wish I would've heard him coming.. or thought to cast Muffliato. The room cleared out, terrified looks on the girl's faces, and fits of laughter spread across the mugs of the boys. "I told you never to do that again, Dearborn." said Draco, gliding towards me slowly and menacingly. When I panic, I insult. I don't know what else to do. "I wouldn't have the material with which to do it if you weren't such a git, Malfoy."

There was less than a second between when I finished my sentence, and when he grabbed me by the wrists and pushed me backwards, which knocked my head on the corner of the fireplace. "You will NOT insult me, to my face or behind my back! My father-" Ignoring the searing, strong, impossible to ignore pain in the back of my head, I began to laugh in his face. Literally, because his face was easily no more than four inches from mine as he shouted. "The subject always goes back to your daddy, doesn't it? I've heard your threats, and quite honestly I don't think you'd really dare to act on them when you're up against me."

He released my wrists angrily and turned away, suddenly taking a lot of interest in the fireplace, I noticed. "Malfoy?" I asked, as he stared into the flames. "What, Dearborn?" He replied in a flat tone, avoiding my eyes. "You'll never beat me." I said quietly into his ear, with a wink in my voice. He truly did hate me, and knowing that I was the only one yet who could break down the… "toughest" boy in the school, well that just made me giddy.

I walked away triumphantly towards my room. Draco didn't even think to lower his voice, for he thought I was closer to the girl's dorms. I heard him talking to himself. "Andromeda is my worst nightmare. She's not afraid of me. She doesn't seem to care what my father is. And the worst? She's a woman. I swear, she'll be the death of me." He sighed, sounded genuinely broken. I didn't know if I should laugh, or feel bad for him. Oddly enough, I chose the latter. My housemates always said to me, "There's no way you could be a Slytherin. You care for people, and you have a conscious. I suppose The Sorting Hat goofed or something." I was a proud Slytherin, but hearing what they all had to say almost made me feel out of place.

What could I do? I had two options, and I didn't really wish to participate in either. I could go back up to the dorms and have to reenact the situation for my roommates, pretending to have been proud. Or I could turn around and go back to the common room, and ask Draco if he was okay. If I could've slept in the hallway to avoid both, I would have. I turned and began walking back towards the common room, where Draco sat in a chair, staring angrily into the fire. I approached him slowly, and when he wouldn't acknowledge me I sat down on the floor directly in his way of the fire.

"What do you want, Dearborn?" He spoke the words with such hate that they sounded like an unforgivable curse. This shocked me a bit. _Should you really be talking like that to the person who's trying to apologize? Then again, I'm sure he's not expecting a fellow Slytherin to apologize to him. _"Malfoy, relax. I'm here to…" I didn't know how to say it. "…apologize." The word stung my ears, and his.

He looked up at me, and almost did a double-take when he realized what I had said to him. "Why would you do that?" He asked in shock. "You know why!" I said. "I'm… sorry that I'm so awful to you. I mean, you're awful to me, but I'm just so much worse, and I take things too far. It's been like this for four years, for Merlin's sake! Will you forgive me?" My heart was beating for too fast for my taste. An apology was something I'd yet to have given or received, and I didn't have a clue as to what to expect.

"Are you out of your wizarding mind, Dearborn? You just made an apology, and it wasn't even forced or anything! Sure, I can understand apologizing to me or someone in my family if we made you, because we are a family of importance. But an unprovoked, heartfelt apology? I knew it, you're soft, and pathetic, like a Hufflepuff!" I was fine until he compared me to a Hufflepuff. I withdrew my wand, and before he had time to react I shouted _"Rictusempra!" _

A jet of silver light shot out of my wand, hitting him square in the middle. Draco fell to the ground and began to laugh, but soon the laugh turned into a pleading whimper, which of course he'd deny later. No one likes being tickled, but I figured it was better than _**Sectum**__sempra_. I stopped, and he stood up in attempt to regain his composure. His hand reached for his wand and I shouted "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew out of his hand and across the room. "Malfoy, seriously? A Hufflepuff?" I laughed deviously, turning on my heels and walking back towards the girl's dorms. I chanced one quick glance at his face. He looked as if he'd been confunded.


	3. Like They Didn't Want To Shank Me

The next afternoon at an 4:00 dinner, I heard whispers all around me. _Surely more Harry "The Hero" Potter stories." _I thought to myself._ "Why do these people care? Especially the Slytherins? _My question was quickly answered by Pansy Parkinson, "So Andromeda," she asked in a suspicious, jealous sounding voice, "what happened between you and Draco? You sure did get back to the room late." She glared at me, waiting for an answer. She favored the boy, I had a fight with him, and so she's _jealous_? I didn't understand it at all.

Draco came up behind my chair and said, rather loudly "Hello Dearborn. Are we meeting again tonight for another tickle fight on the common room floor?" We winked, laughing loudly with his friends Crabbe and Goyle. "Really Malfoy? That's how you're spinning it this time? Because from what I remember, you were Rictusempra'd. Because you…" I paused. Did I want people to know that I made a heartfelt apology to this git? "…insulted me, and you were too slow to grab your wand to protect yourself. However, you _were_ fast enough to threaten telling your father, which is your signature move." He looked a little thrown off, but not defeated.

"I noticed that little pause in there, Andromeda." He said, smiling maliciously. "Listen, Malfoy. We haven't been on a first name basis in four years. Don't start now." I spat. He continued on. "I believe that in that pause, you were going to say that you apologized to me. Down right got on your knees and begged for forgiveness after you insulted me." He beamed, which he didn't do often. "I have no problem insulting you, you disgusting self-absorbed, Malfoy filth. Sure, I apologized. But not for that. It was for all of the times that I almost brought you to tears with my insults and my wit. I could never insult an innocent normal person, with a heart. And an apology is nothing to be ashamed of! And if that makes me a failure as a Slytherin, then so-freaking-be-it. So yes, I'm still sorry that I hurt you so badly, but I'd be so much more sorry if I hurt someone who actually had a heart that could break." I stormed out of The Great Hall and out near the black lake.

As I ran across the castle grounds, tears of anger welling in my eyes, I noticed that it was a beautiful day. The sun shone bright over the astronomy tower, there was a light breeze, and the birds were singing sweetly. But I was still running at full speed, thinking _"How dare you be so beautiful at a moment like this? Have you no idea what's going on… no pity?"_.

I abruptly stopped running and sat on the ground at the edge of the lake, and wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face in my arms. I never let anyone hear me cry, so I usually turn on music or do something loud to cover it up the sobbing. But I'm here, confused, angry, sad, and out in the open with no way to hide my tears. I heard teasing laughter coming from the hill, the recognizable cackle of Draco Malfoy burning in my ears. I began to cry harder. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and a semi-familiar voice. "An-Andromeda?" stuttered the voice. I looked up to see his face.

"Neville? Oh my, I don't think we've talked since first year, after that time in potions when you-" "Yeah, I remember." He said quickly. We both laughed lightly, though I was still soaking in tears. "I just wanted to tell you that I would've never expected you to apologize to Malfoy, and I think that it was really honorable, what you said back there. And I wanted to check on you, are you okay?" Neville asked in his awkward manner that made me smile. "Yes, I'm okay. I just really wish it were raining." I said, as he sat down next to me. "Why would you want that?" He questioned. "So no one could see me crying."

We sat in silence for a moment listening to the sound of the other students chatting, and the birds chirping alongside them. The sun really had never looked so radiant, so lovely. I hated it. Every second that it stayed beautiful, I wanted to cry harder, though I still felt vulnerable and exposed. In the corner of my eye I see Neville take out his wand, and I hear him whisper something so quiet that I couldn't understand it. Suddenly a dark cloud rolled west and covered up the sun, He and I stood up, and I felt a drop on my forehead. Neville and I looked at each other, and I understood at once. It began to pour. I grinned and hugged him, and looked up to see him smiling awkwardly, apparently not used to girl-hugs. As the other students ran at full speed back to the castle, Neville and I took a slow walk, soaking in the rain.

When we got inside, people were still talking about Draco and myself. The Slytherins talked about how pathetic I am, and the other three houses talked about how Draco has no soul and discussed theories as to how he could've lost it. Neville and I were about to part ways, when softly grabbed my arm and said "Hey, would you like to come and hang out with me and my friends? The Slytherins don't look to be a real friendly group." There was a short pause, "Except for you of course." He added hurriedly. This shouldn't have been a hard decision, but yet it was. I didn't want to ignore my house any longer, but the Gryffindors looked so… brave, and caring, and like they didn't want to shank me.

As I walked towards the Gryffindors, I felt something strange. I saw them laughing together, and smiling at me. And I felt… warm. "Uh, everyone, this is Andromeda. The girl who told off Malfoy." Neville awkwardly introduced me to the people I'd already met once before, four years ago. Harry, Ron, and Hermoine all said "Hi" in unison, clearly a symptom of spending far too much time together. "Hello, it's wonderful to meet you." said Luna sweetly. "How do you do?" asked George, the twin to the right. And suddenly, Fred, the twin to the left, stood up so fast that I jumped a little bit. He extended his hand, and I shook it. "It's wonderful to meet you, Andromeda." He said, smiling widely. "He wants you, bad. Has since your first year." said George. Fred's face turned crimson as he stepped back to punch his brother in the arm. "But hey, so has Neville." George added. He blinked furiously, blushed, and glared at George.

At Fred and Neville's expense we all had a good laugh, and they even laughed along too. It was great being around people who cared for each other, and knew that they were cared for. But it was getting late. The time had passed so quickly, and it was now 7:30pm, and there was half an hour until everyone's common room curfews, except for Fred and George, who had until 9:00pm. I dreaded going back to my dorm so terribly, that I began to feel sick as we walked through the halls, then I felt lightheaded. I started to lean, more and more, until I fell over. Neville caught me, beating Fred by less than a second, and Fred glared at him. He probably thought I didn't see that. "Neville, let me takeover. I'll carry her to Madame Pomfrey." said Fred. "No, I've got her, mate." replied Neville. But Fred gave him a look of warning, and Neville let him carry me.

Oh the mix of emotions. I wished I were fully unconscious, so that I wouldn't have to hear worried tone is everyone's voices. Yet I was glad to be partially awake, because the worried voices seemed to care about me. And perhaps… I might have even been glad to have been carried in Fred's arms. He was warm, and he smelled like cinnamon and some kind of smoke. Not from a cigarette or pipe, but from a fire or an explosion. He smelled a lot like something that I had smelled in Potions class once… but he couldn't…. But I quickly shook this thought, because I didn't need anymore emotions at the time.

When we arrived, Fred set me down in a chair. That's all I can remember, before I blacked out.


	4. Manners? Left 'Em In My Other Robes

I heard distant mumbling coming from somewhere on the other side of the room. I tried to move my hands, but I barely could. Then I wiggled my toes. I had managed to lift my arm off of the bed. Slowly I did this, progressively gaining strength. Whoever the voices in the room belonged to, they weren't paying me any attention, so I was free to take my time, remembering how to move on my own once more.

After some length of time, I had finally dared to try lifting my head, and then sitting up. I had just noticed, I hadn't even tried to open my eyes yet. Suddenly I hear someone say "She's moving, she's awake! I think she's getting up." the person grabbed my hand, and someone on the other side quickly grabbed my other one. "Andy, can you hear me? Talk to me. Say something!" I finally opened my eyes and saw Fred to my left and Neville to my right, both smiling sweetly. "Say something, Andy!" repeated Fred. I blinked slowly and smiled. "What the bloody hell did you just call me?"

"He called you Andy. He's been calling you that all week, actually." said Harry, peering over the heads of the others to see what condition I was in. "All week? I just met him last night." I said, confused. "No, you've been in a coma, and it appears to have been caused by blunt trauma to the head." said Hermoine, "Have you fallen or been hit by anything lately?"

I thought back carefully. "When Malfoy and I were fighting… he grabbed me by the wrists, and I'm sure he only meant to make me lose my balance, but he pushed and I ended up hitting my head rather hard on the fireplace in the Slytherin common room." My stomach lurched. I had almost forgotten that once I had left the hospital wing, I'd be going back to Slytherin house, where I'd be mocked, tormented, and what now? Physically beaten by the skinny blonde boy?

"That bloody scumbag!" said Neville, speaking for the first time since I woke up, "I'll beat him! I'll do it muggle-style, too!" Shy, outspoken, nervous yet brave Neville was showing a side that no one had seen of him before. He was angry. "I'll help! I'll hold him, if you want to punch." offered Fred. And with that Neville nodded, and Fred gestured towards the door. As Neville took a step away, I reached out and grabbed his hand. He stopped dead in his tracks, and blushed scarlet. Then I remembered that some people thought that friends couldn't hold hands without flirting, so to remain impartial I reached towards a jealous looking Fred and took his hand as well. "Guys, let the Professors handle Malfoy. Stay with me?" I asked, smiling up at the two.

Then it hit me again. That feeling in my stomach. I knew this happiness would end soon, when I go back to the Slytherin girl's dorms. And apparently it showed on my face, because seconds later Ron spoke up, "We've spoken with Dumbledore. No one has a clue as to how you were placed in the ruddy wrong house! While you were… out, he brought the sorting hat and had you sorted again. Congratulations, new Gryffindor." My heart felt so much lighter, and heavier at the same time. _I'm out of Slytherin! I'll finally be with… people who don't hate me! And I'll be with them almost all the time. Meals, classes, and in the common room! But that also means… I'll be spending a lot of time with Fred too.._

Fred was in his sixth year, and I was in my fourth. So we wouldn't see each other _all_ the time, would we? I just didn't want to see him often enough to have the chance to develop an attraction to him. Who was I kidding, I already had an attraction to him. But I had a feeling all of the things that were said about him wanting me were just funny things and jokes to be made, and that the "jealous" looks between him and Neville were just Fred's way of teasing Neville about the fact that he liked me as well. Or something of that sort. But for some reason I refused the thought of Fred favoring me, and pushed the "absurd" thought from my mind.

They walked me to their- our - common room, and from there Hermoine and Luna led me to our room, which we shared with Lavender Brown. I moved my trunk to the foot of my bed, and changed out of my Slytherin attire, and into everything Gryffindor. Then I realized it was 11:00pm, and I should be in sleeping clothes. I threw on my flannel Pajama Bottoms and a white tank top, and put my hair into a messy bun. I came down into the common room to join the rest, and Fred gave me a sudden, out of nowhere, uncalled for, long hug. I chose to assume it was an 'I'm-glad-you're-out-of-that-coma' hug.

I looked up at him, and he looked down at me. Gah, he was so tall in comparison to my 5'4" self. He started to blush, and tried to stop looking down at me, somewhat unsuccessfully, still glancing down but not meeting my eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked, still hugging him and beginning to laugh. He looked in my eyes, suppressing a laugh of his own, "Andy, I was trying to be a gentleman about it, but quite frankly I can't. I can see your lacy red bra, clear as anything." He stated. "Whether you change… or not, I really don't mind… at all. I just thought I'd inform you."

We all laughed quite a bit, although trying to remain somewhat quiet because many were already asleep in the dorms. After a moment of awkward silence, Neville left the room, appearing to have gone to the boys dorms. Moments later he came back with a muggle jacket. He came up behind me and put it over my shoulders, letting me cover my front with it. This made me smile. Because Fred only hinted at the fact, but kept looking at my clearly exposed cleavage until he finally had to say something. But Neville took action to make sure that I was covered, and avoided looking at my chest all but once, and that was two seconds before he went to get the jacket.

I felt the need to show my appreciation, and to let Fred know that he needs to step up his game. I couldn't think of a way to do it at first, but then it dawned on me. I put my hand in Neville's, and laced my fingers between his. Not a perfect fit, but pretty darn close. He looked down at me, and we smiled at each other.

Fred looked at Neville, then at me, and then at our hands. He proceeded to walk out of the room silently, into the hallway that he for some reason thought was soundproof, and began to shout. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S MOST BAGGY Y-FRONTS? I'M IN A RAGE! THIS IS A MADDEST I'VE EVER BEEN. I SWEAR IF HE DOESN'T BACK OFF OF ANDY, I AM GOING TO PUNCH A SMALL CHILD." He came back seconds later like nothing happened. We all exchanged strange looks before we said goodnight, and with great disappointment, I released Neville's hand, keeping his jacket with me.


	5. You Have Some Soil On Your Face

I was waiting for the sun to rise on the school grounds. This was something new to me, having lived in the dungeon-style dormitories below the lake with the Slytherins for my four previous years at Hogwarts. "_It must be running late, or something_" I thought. I was so used to total darkness and then walking out of the dungeons and it suddenly being bright. Looking fixedly at the slowly lightening shade of dark blue in the sky, I seemed to have forgotten that the sun didn't just appear.

I hadn't slept at all yet, and I didn't see the point now. I contemplated studying. Lavender, Hermoine, and Luna were all fast asleep, and I didn't wish to wake them. I grabbed all of my fourth year books and my wand, and made my way towards the common room. It was five in the morning, and the fire was still going strong. Oh how I love magic. I lie down on the couch, suddenly realizing how tired I was, and closed my eyes.

"My god, you're adorable when you sleep." said a voice, sounding so distant, yet so close. The dream that I'd had shattered like glass, the shards falling from my mind, as I came to the realization that I wasn't alone in the common room. I opened my eyes and saw Fred sitting on the ground next to the couch. I looked at the window, and guessed that since the sky was still the same shade of dark but lighter than night blue, I'd only been asleep for a few minutes. "Were you watching me sleep, Fred?" I asked, laughing sleepily and sitting on the floor with him. "I wasn't… but what would you say if I was?" He asked. I looked at him, grinning. "I'd probably call you a creep, and back away slowly." We laughed heartily, and carried on talking, though still trying to remain quiet for our fellow Gryffindors in the dormitories.

There was a short silence, in which I almost fell asleep. Fred stood up and helped me back on the couch, and he sat down next to me. I looked up at him and he looked just as bad as I felt, sleep deprived. I was unsure of what to do, because I was really to tired to stay awake and talk, and too tired to get up and go to my room, yet I had no right to kick him out of the common room. I started to lean, falling asleep, and he leaned back, put his arm around me, and let me sleep on his chest. If I hadn't been so tired, I probably would've declined, out of sheer nerves. But I was tired, and he smelled like comfort.

The sun was shining bright through the red and gold curtains and into my eyes. The room was silent, except for the slight gasps coming from the Hermoine, George, and Neville, who were all standing a few feet away, in shock at the scene. I looked at my surroundings. I was in the Gryffindor common room, on a couch, asleep with my head on Fred Weasley's chest. Cool.

"Um, what are you guys doing in here so early?" Hermoine asked. Her question seemed to have two meanings. "I couldn't sleep well in the dorm, so I came in here and fell asleep on the couch. Then Fred woke me up, and I scooted over, and I accidentally fell back asleep. And then I woke up, and you guys were here." I said, smiling in general, but more specifically at Neville. I got up and went to the girl's dormitory to change into my robes, and when I was halfway there I heard George shout "_Aguamenti!_" and a scream, so I suppose they woke Fred up.

I looked around the common room, about to leave for The Great Hall. These students were my new housemates. From now on, I was a Gryffindor. Excitement began to build, and my smile grew wider. Suddenly, I felt someone next to me. I recognized immediately that it was Neville, because he was standing close, but seeming to turn away. I smiled and elbowed him playfully, looking up into his amazing blue eyes.

As we walked into The Great Hall, I suddenly found my hand in Neville's once more, as he and I began to smile hugely. But there in the air came a sudden, dark feeling. That familiar low buzz returned to my ears. The sound of a room full of god knows how many students, gossiping about one thing or another. Draco Malfoy glanced at me and then looked away, and continued talking with the Slytherins. Then he looked back again. The look on his face was something I will never forget, and I would never want to.

"Neville Longbottom, and… Andromeda? That.. can't happen." said Draco. "The losers deserve each others!" chuckled Goyle. Draco forced out a fake-sounding laugh. But I didn't really think anything of it, because I was too happy. Neville and I sat down, and really didn't want to release each other's hands. We held hands under the table and ate breakfast in blissful silence. Our first class was Herbology, with the Slytherins. I had this sickening feeling that Draco was going to ruin the way that I felt, without even the use of words.

Neville had a natural talent for Herbology. He was just so in his element, and it was cute. Draco stood near a pot of soil and continuously glanced over at us, trying to see what was going on. I was trying to move a plant into a bigger pot, which proved to be more difficult than it sounded. "You… have some soil. On your face." Neville stated, looking at my cheek. "Where?" I asked, with my hands full, trying to wipe it off with my sleeve. "Here." Neville said. He slowly wiped it off of my right cheek, and we stood there staring at each other in silence. Thought everyone around us was still moving, it felt like time had frozen.

Suddenly he leaned forward, and kissed the spot on my cheek where the soil had been a moment before. I couldn't tell if I was blushing scarlet, or if all of the color had drained from my face entirely. I smiled and looked up into his fantastically blue eyes for the second time that day, but my mind was somewhere else. My mind was wandering off towards Fred, wondering where he was. Moments later I realized my surroundings, as Herbology was over, and the majority of the class was on headed back to the castle. The only people still there were Neville and I, Professor Sprout, and Draco Malfoy. "Andromeda, can I speak with you? Not now, because I have to be on my way to Transfiguration, but could you meet me before dinner in the Potions room?"


End file.
